Gas-engine



RW. EVANS,

(No Model.)

l GAS ENGINE.

No. 488,165. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

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Nrrnn STATES ATENT Ormea.

EDWIN W. EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE EVANS GASENGINE COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

G A S E N G l N E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No.488,165, dated December 13, 1892.

Application led July 9, 1892. Serial No. 439,549. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. EVANS, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is aspecification, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which illustrate my invention.

Myinvention has reference generally to engines, particularly to thatclass known as gas-engines, for power purposes, and has specialreference to a construction and operation of a rotary or balance valvethat combines the principles of mixing, condensing, ignition, andexhausting, and has for its object cheapness and durability inconstruction and operation, efficiency in timing, and avoiding `the useof eccentrics and cams; and to the end sought it consists of the novelfeatures of construction, dac., hereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a View,partly in vertical section, of the valve and its connected piston,pistoncylinder, dac., embracing my invention, the parts beingrepresented in position to take in a charge of gas. Fig. 2 is a top planview of the valve-body or stationary portion of the valve, theexhaustpcrt therein being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a view of thebottom balance-valve, showing in dotted lines the gas-pocket therein.Fig. 4 is a similar -View of the top balance-valve. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection of the same, taken on the line am: x00. Fig. 6 is a view incross-section of the valve-body, taken on the line @c x, Fig. 1, theupper balance-valve being removed; and Fig. 7 is a vertical sectionalview of the entire valve, looking toward the piston-cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, in which the parts are indicated by numerals,similar numerals denoting like parts wherever used, 1 is the piston orcompression chamber, and 2 the piston and its rod; 3, thepower-transmitting wheel; 4, the horizontal shaft to which the piston isgeared; 5, means shown for supporting the shaft, and 6 a gear-wheel onthe extremity of the said shaft. This gear-wheel 6 meshes with a largergear 7, mounted on the upper extremity of a vertical shaft 8, which issuitably attached to the rotary portions 10 11 of the valve and rotatedby the working of the piston and the intermediate gearing for purposeshereinafter more fully explained.

The chamber 1 is in open communication with the valve-body 9 by means ofthe ports 12 13A, the valve-body 9 being stationary, while thebalance-valve portions thereof 10 11 are keyed or otherwise suitablymounted on the shaft Sand rotate therewith. The valvebody 9 ispreferably cylindrical in outline, having flat upper andlower surfaces,against which the rotary portions 10 1l ofthe valve work, and a centralopening 18 for the shaft 8. A port 13 extends vertically through thevalve-body 9 and is in open communication with the port 13A, and thisvalvefbody 9 is further provided as to its upper face with a port 14,hereinafter termed the mixing-port, which extends partially only throughsaid body portion 9 and is in open communication with the gas-inlet portl5, and as to its lower face with a similar port 16, hereinafter termedthe exhaust-porn7 which is in open communication with the outlet-port 17and shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. These ports13, 14, and 16 are located at each quarter-point relative to thecircumference of the body portion 9, the fourth quarter-point beingblank or presenting a solid or closed surface. The upper and lower valveportions lO and 1l are alike in construction, Figs. 1 and 5, each havinga central opening 18 18, respectively, for the shaft 8 and a gas-packet19 20, respectively, (shown in dotted lines, Figs. 3 and 4,) forpurposes presently explained, and are rigidly mounted on the shaft 8 inplace on the body portion 9, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings,Figs. 4 and 3 showing the relative positions of the pockets 19 2O withregard to the ports 13, 14, and 16 in the body portion 9 of the valvewhen the valve is in position to take in a charge of gas, the dottedline y, Figs. 2 and 4, indicating the overlap of one end of the pocket19 of the upper valve with the mixing-port 14, and its other end is thenin open communication with the port 13 to the cylinder l, while thepocket 20 of the lower valve is closed to the ports 13 and 16,

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the arrows, Figs. 3 and 4, indicating the direction of rotation.

In connection with my engine I have shown electrical means for ignitingor exploding the charge of gas for the obtaining of the necessaryautomatic continuous operation and power-transmitting features of theengine, and to this end the wires 21, which are supplied with a battery,sparker, the., (not shown,) conveniently lead into the port 13A, througha plug 23. Other wires 22 to complete the circuit connect with acontact-arm 24, mounted on and projecting from the side of the cylinder1, while a finger 25 is mounted on the Shaft 8 and so set relative tothe rotation of the valve as to make and break circuit at the ending ofthe second quarter-turn of said valve from the beginning of the takingin of the charge of gas. Thereby the charge of compressed gas may betimely exploded or expanded.

Having now fully described the several parts of myinvention, theoperationis as follows: lThe cylinder 1 and valve-body 9 being connectedso that the port 12 of the former and ports 13 13A of thelatter form asingle port or open communication between said cylinderand valve, thebalance-valves 10 and 11 suitably mounted on the shaft 8 and in properyposition on the valve-body 9-that is to say, the pocket 2O of thebalance-valve 10 open to both the ports 13 and 14 and overlapping theport 14 to the extent as indicated by dotted liney of Figs. 2 and 4 andthe bal ance-valve 11 closed to the ports 13 and 16- the piston 2 atlow-center, the gears 6 and 7 meshing, (the gearing being such as tocause the balance-valves 10 and 11 to each make a quarter-turn to eachstroke of the piston,) and the-port 15 having a connected source ofgas-supply, there then being a continuous open passage between theinlet-port 15 and cylinder 1, the engine is ready to be started. (SeeFig. 1.) The wheel 3 is given a turn by hand, when the piston 2 will atonce commence to ascend and the valves 10 and 11 to rotate, the pocket19 in valve 10 gradually closing to the mixing-port 14 andsimultaneously taking in a charge of gas, which flows through the ports15 14 into the pocket 19, then downward through the port 13 to the ports13A 12, and thence passing into the cylinder 1. This operation continuesuntil the balance` valves have made a quarter-turn, at which time thepocket 19 will be closed to the mixing-port 14, the charge of gas takenin, and the piston be at top-center-that is to say, have made a fullstroke. The piston now travels toward low-center, compressing the chargeof gas, and so continues nntil a complete second stroke has been made,at which time the valves have completed a second quarter-turn and arenow closed to the various ports in the valve-body 9. At this instant thelinger 25 forms electrical contact with the arm 24, and thereby ignitesand explodes the charge of compressed gas, causing the piston to rapidlyascend to top-center again, thus giving mornentum and increased power tothe driving-Wheel 3 through the intermediate gearing and fromtheretransmittedin amanner well understood. At this time the piston willhave made its third stroke and the valves completed their thirdquarter-turn. The pocket 19 is still closed to the port 13, while thepocket 2O in the lower balance-valve 11 is now open to the ports 13 and16 of the valve-body 9 and completely exhausts the exploded gas as thepiston travels toward and again reaches low-center to make its fourthstroke, at the completion of which the valves will have made their lastquarter-turn and the parts be again in position to take in a new chargeof gas and repeat the operation of mixing, compressing, exploding, andexhausting charges of gas for power generation.

Having thus described my invention, I wish it understood that I do notdesire to limit myself to the exact construction of parts shown in theaccompanying drawings and herein described, hnt may vary the same in anymanner to better carry out the principle of my invention withoutdeparting from the true scope thereof.

I claim- 1. In a gas or other engine, the combination, with thepiston-cylinder, piston, and its connected power-transmitting gearing,of a balance-valve consisting .of a fixed body portion having acombinedr supply and mixing port, a combined exhaust and outlet port,and combined port communication with the piston-cylinder and two movableportions, one on each side of said fixed portion, mounted on a shaftextending through the latter and rotating therewith,'each of saidmovable portions provided with a pocket adapted to communicate withtheir respective ports in the fixed portion at predetermined intervals,as described.

2. In a gas-engine, a balance-valve of the character herein described,consisting of a fixed body portion having a combined supply and mixingport, a combined exhaust and outlet port, and combined port connectionwith the compression-cylinder, twomovable portions, one on each side ofsaid fixed portion, mounted on a shaft extending through the latter androtating therewith, each of the said movable portions provided with apocket adapted to communicate with their respective ports in the fixedportion at predetermined intervals, and means for timely exploding acharge of gas when taken into the engine, whereby a charge of gas may betaken into the engine and in turn compressed, exploded, and exhausted,for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 5th day ofOctober, A. D.

EDWIN W. EVANS. In presence of- JOHN J OLLEY, Jr., F. MITCHELL.

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